West Monroe Partners Names Barbara Bennett to Board of Directors

September 12, 2018

Seattle-based executive and former CFO for the EPA brings extensive leadership and transformation experience as fast-growing consultancy prepares for next stage of expansion.

CHICAGO – West Monroe Partners, a national business and technology consulting firm, announced today the appointment of Barbara Bennett to its Board of Directors. Bennett will provide guidance to the firm, which increased revenue by 34% in 2017 and expects another year of strong, double-digit growth in 2018. In just 16 years, West Monroe has grown from a startup to a firm of more than 1,000 employees with 10 offices across the United States.

West Monroe’s Board of Directors provides oversight for the privately held, 100% employee-owned company. The appointment brings the number of board members to 11. Bennett becomes the third external member, as well as the third woman, on West Monroe’s board.

“As we grow and scale our business, it is increasingly important for us to have outside and diverse voices at the table when we shape strategy and make investment decisions,” said Kevin McCarty, West Monroe’s president and CEO. “As a former chief operating officer and chief financial officer, Barbara Bennett brings extensive strategic, financial, and operational acumen, along with an outstanding track record for disrupting markets and guiding companies from early stage investments to large public entities.”

Bennett has more than three decades of experience leading complex, high-growth, multinational organizations, with an industry background that spans, media, environment, and diverse portfolio management. Most recently, she was president and chief operating officer for Vulcan, Inc., the engine behind philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen’s network of organizations and initiatives. It holds assets as diverse as investment management, consumer experiences, technology development, and professional sports. Previously, she was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Digital First Media and chief financial officer of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a role for which she was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Bennett also spent 17 years in senior executive and leadership roles with Discovery Communications, helping build the organization into one of the world’s most extensive media enterprises.

Bennett’s experience includes working with corporate boards, committees, and external stakeholders, with a background that includes both the public and private sectors. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Cascade Public Media. She previously served on the boards of the Allen Institute and the Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital.

“It is an honor to be named to West Monroe’s board and to assume this significant responsibility to the firm’s employee owners, its clients and the communities in which it operates. West Monroe has, in a short period of time, earned a very distinctive stature and reputation in the consulting marketplace, and I am motivated by the opportunity to help guide the next stage of development,” Bennett said. “I am particularly impressed with the culture West Monroe has established, including its strong focus on people, innovation, and social responsibility. One of my priorities as a board member is to help the firm preserve and nurture this asset as it makes strategic decisions and grows to the next level.”

Bennett is based in the Seattle area, home to West Monroe’s second-largest office.

“Through her recent work overseeing businesses and investments in the Puget Sound area, Barbara Bennett has established a strong local presence and perspective,” said Tom Bolger, West Monroe’s senior managing director of strategic growth and founder of the firm’s Seattle office. “Her expansive knowledge of the local business community will be particularly valuable as we extend our unique value proposition of blending business consulting and deep technology expertise to new clients across the Pacific Northwest.”

Bennett will begin her appointment on September 14.

About West Monroe Partners
West Monroe is a national business and technology consulting firm that partners with dynamic organizations to reimagine, build and operate their businesses at peak performance. Our team of more than 1,000 professionals is comprised of an uncommon blend of business consultants and deep technologists. This unique combination of expertise enables us to design, develop, implement, and run strategic business and technology solutions that yield a dramatic commercial impact on our clients’ profitability and performance. For more information, visit www.wmp.com.